A Season of Travel
Staff Week - Mondulkiri, Cambodia
We landed back in Cambodia after a wonderful time in the USA connecting with family and friends to rush headlong into travels throughout South East Asia. The first was an office staff retreat in Mondulkiri which is in Cambodia, but very near the Vietnam border. During this week, the office staff learned that communicating cross culturally is similar to communicating in marriage and similar to those going through culture shock. The lesson is very appropriate since we have 4 nationalities present this term. We also heard one of the staff discuss his near burnout at a previous job after working nearly 2400 hours in a year (an additional 8 weeks of work!). We discussed how we can work hard and also rest well. So, we then put his advice into practice by enjoying the beautiful waterfalls of Cambodia and trekking to see and feed elephants.
Myanmar!
At the end of August Chad co-lead a team of 10 people to Myanmar to design a Bible school and children's home. The ministry has been using old, musty, cramped and rented facilities for years, but has recently acquired 5 acres of land for a new campus. Chad and the team surveyed the site, performed water quality tests, analyzed the soil and spend hours consulting with the ministry about their vision for the future. At the end of the week their vision became one step closer to completion by finally seeing what their site could look like after the buildings are constructed.
Beijing, China! Nathan is in his final year of university and has the opportunity to study abroad this term in Beijing. He arrived near the end of August and spent some time getting settled into his new apartment, meeting his classmates and a bit of touring the surrounding area. He will be there until December taking classes for his minor in Mandarin. Siem Reap, Cambodia! Shanthi's school also had a staff retreat and they decided to go to Siem Reap, the home of Ankor Wat - one of the most popular tourist destinations in Cambodia. The laughter around the meal tables and the amazing encouragement by those who taught at the breakout sessions was well worth the 10 hour round trip bus ride!
Bangkok, Thailand!
Immediately upon returning to Cambodia, Chad went to Thailand to have an injection in his back for the sciatic nerve pain he has been dealing with this year. Unfortunately, Shanthi and the kids were just starting school, so he went alone. The staff and doctors at the hospital took great care of him and the procedure was successful. It has allowed him to travel without pain, which was a great blessing considering the buses, flights and taxi rides he has taken this month!
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment